Province plans to track prescription drug abuse

Create: 12/01/2015 - 19:40

Ontario is targeting the abuse of prescription drugs through upcoming narcotics strategy legislation.
“We know that there is a serious narcotics abuse issue facing many Ontarians and their families throughout our province,” said Health and Long-Term Care Minister Deb Matthews. “We are taking a range of steps that reflect the severity of the issue.”
The provincial government plans to introduce the legislation this fall to help address the abuse of prescription narcotics while ensuring access to pain medication for those who need it most.
“Ontario needs a system-wide program to address serious problems associated with prescription narcotics and controlled substances,” said Dr. Jack Mandel, president of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. “Ontario’s plan to educate the public and health providers, as well as implement a system to monitor prescribing and dispensing, are critical steps forward.”
The strategy will see tracking of prescriptions through a database that would flag unusual patterns of prescribing and dispensing. In instances of inappropriate activity, responses could include educational support and resources, reporting to the appropriate regulatory college and in extreme circumstances, law enforcement. The strategy also includes more education to patients about the appropriate use of prescription narcotics.
The narcotics strategy would include five elements: a proposed narcotics tracking system which would enable the province to collect and analyze information on all prescription narcotics and other controlled substances dispensed in Ontario; partnering with the health care sector to educate on appropriate prescribing; partnering with the health care sector to educate on appropriate dispensing; education to prevent excessive use of prescription narcotics; and addiction treatment.
Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Stan Beardy is concerned the strategy does not mention what the ministry will be doing to assist First Nation communities.
“Our position is it should be available to all First Nations and Aboriginal people in Ontario because the issue is not just confined to health, it is across all sectors: social, child welfare, law enforcement and education,” Beardy said.
He said First Nations were not consulted to his knowledge in the development of the strategy, but he would like to see how First Nations can work with Ontario to access support and opportunities to promote healing.
“We have proposed solutions to the challenges faced by our people,” Beardy said, “to reconnect our people to our true principles about spirituality and a special relationship to the land. We need to reconnect our people to our roots.”
The narcotics strategy was developed with the advice of the narcotics advisory panel, a 12-member group of family physicians, pain and addictions specialists, pharmacists, and staff from coroner’s offices, professional regulatory bodies, and law enforcement agencies established in March 2009.
Prescriptions for medications containing oxycodone rose by 900 per cent since 1991 and the number of oxycodone-related deaths in Ontario has nearly doubled since 2004.